5 replies to this topic

[bubblejack]

Do providers open for extra days in lieu of bank holidays or when all staff have training.

[nicki-k]

We don't Bubblejack. We are open for 38 weeks and track the term dates of local schools. We try to use our five staff development days when the schools do so that its convenient for parents with older children. The only bank holiday which doesn't fall in term time at the moment is May 1st and we enjoy a four day week with the schools :D .

[bubblejack]

Thanks nick-i-k. I don't know about staff developement days either. Is this just in your county. Thank goodness for this forum it is such a good source of information.

[nicki-k]

I'm from Kent and all of our county are entitled to use five days for staff development, 2 in the autumn, 1 in the spring and 2 in the summer term. We have to track the Kent County Council school term dates to qualify for the 38 weeks funding otherwise they will only pay us for 33 weeks . Apparently the 38 week term is 195 days but 38 weeks funding is only 190 days, hence five development days. This might vary with different local authorities - check with yours to make sure you are getting everything you are entitled to!

[Inge]

You need to check locally with funding regulations for your area, all are different,. we can open anything from 33 weeks to 38 weeks and get funded accordingly, but if a bank holiday falls on a monday as may day we have to opne another day to recieve the full funding, it is done by days open. we ahve to declare term dates in January each year for funding year April to March...Very confusing when school year runs Sept to July!! set up a spreadsheet to calculate days open to make it easier to see.

The LEA term dates actually add up to 39 weeks and allow for the 5 closure days (1 week so making a 38 week year), so as a pre-school we do not actually get funded for any closure days.

So it all depends on whether you use the same term dates as LEA give or set your own, use LEA dates and do not have closure days means you are open for 5 days more than you need to!!.

Inge

[hali]

no we dont, open 38wks with our local shool. :D